Sunday, June 15, 2008

If I was going to go to New Haven, I was going to do it right e.g. I was going to have a pre-train cocktail at Grand Central’s Campbell Apartment.

Brownie and I scored seats at the bar and peeked at the drink menu. Prohibition Punch? Roaring Twenties? What to get? We settled on the Shanghai Margarita for Brownie and the Grape Smash for me.

The interior of this former private office of railroad tycoon John W. Campbell made both drinks ultimately taste better. It’s dark oak, stained glass, and dark red plush carpeting all took us back to a time before the Midtown sports bar, its blaring TVs, and philandering suits. You could taste the ginger in Brownie’s margarita, and since they were quality ingredients, it was very smooth going down (I have choked on nasty margaritas before). My Grape Smash was very involved. Yes, the bartender had to smash grapes in a tumbler for the drink. I thought it would be sweeter, more like white grape juice, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that its sweetness was subtle with a nice tang from the different bitters used. The club soda added a nice effervescence that made me feel like a kid with my Shirley Temple, a feeling I thoroughly enjoy when it happens to hit. I could definitely see myself enjoying these prior to my next Grand Central getaway.

By the way, there is also the Campbell Terrace set up for the summer on the Vanderbilt side of Grand Central.Campbell ApartmentGrand Central Terminal, entrance on Vanderbilt AvenueMonday through Saturday 3pm-1amSunday 3pm-11pm